Voleuse

On first sniff, this is a cool floral, sweet and calming. It's very complex, as well--I'm having trouble separating the individual notes from each other. There's definitely moonflower and ylang ylang, but it's all a gorgeous mesh of pale florals. Over time, the vanilla gets a bit more pronounced, but for the most part this doesn't morph on me. This is beautiful.

Oooh! This is light on me, so it's difficult to pin down. Spice, smoky florals. Warm musk and hints of ginger. As it dries, the ginger blooms sharper, but I get notes of something sweet as well. Mmmm. I'm not sure what to think about this yet, but I'm definitely holding on to it.

Eep! This is all resin on first application, with a hint of dried florals appearing after a minute. This is nowhere as sweet as I expected, and actually leans toward the bitter side. There's something rather medicinal about this blend, but in an old-fashioned sort of way.

 

Over time, the opium really pops out, overwhelming everything else. It gives me a bit of a headache, unfortunately. Off to swaps!

This is tart citrus and burnt wood on first sniff, sweet and elusive. After a minute, however, it completely disappears on me! I can smell a bit of grapefruit if I press my nose to my skin, but that's it. Alas.

Oh! This is fascinating. On me, it's sandalwood glossed with sweet cherry blossom, and the tiniest hint of dragon's blood. Fresh and almost fiery, like Neo-Tokyo seared.

 

After a while, the sandalwood settles down, and this becomes more of a fresh floral scent. The sandalwood is definitely there, but I don't immediately think "desert" upon sniffing. Neat!

2005 Version
I expected this to be foodier than it is. The pumpkin is the same buttery pumpkin, of course, but it's overlaid by a green garden scent--the ivy, I assume. This is a tame blend, very subtle to my nose, but definitely outdoorsy.

As it dries, the pumpkin gets stronger. The green note disappears, but it's replaced by a mild, spicy wood note. Somebody described this as "a pumpkin tree," and I think it's that's the perfect phrase for this blend. Not a forest scent, but an odd, slightly-fantastical tree hidden in the overgrown corner of a cottage garden.

2005 Version

Ooh! This blend reminds me of cookies. Rather, cookies that should be, because I've never had a pumpkin-and-chocolate cookie, and I suspect it might be delicious.

 

Overall, this is a rather powdery scent on me, like cookie dust rather than a freshly-baked cookie. After a while, I get an odd, unexpected boozy note as well. Interesting, warm, sweet.

2005 Version

I had no idea what to expect from this scent, and now I have no idea what to say about it. *facepalm* The pumpkin is buttery and rich, as expected, but it's toned down by the clean sweetness of the pomegranate. There's a bit of tartness to it, as well, which I like. Overall, it ends up being an energizing, breezy scent, but not one I'd wear very often.

This is clean and peppery on me, with a sharp herbal note following after it. Interesting. After a minute, a strong resin overtakes the other notes, making it almost a woodsy blend. Astringent, sweet, clean. Lavender! I think this is reminding me of a TAL blend, but I can't remember which one.

Sweetness, and rich loam. It's quite dark, and it smells like I could dig my fingers through the dirt. I'm not so familiar with orchids note, but the floral note is very pretty--as the blend dries, it gets softer, more sophisticated. And there's something in this blend that reminds me, just a little bit, of very fancy cake. Which might be my odd scent associations, but still. Overall, a lovely blend.

This is sweet, cool, a little spicy on first application. There's wood, which is nice, and agh! A musk-like note that is going wrong on me. Not enough to make this repellent, but it's making the blend go all weird on me. The other notes are lovely--this could be a mildly-medicinal, sweet woods blend. Except for whatever this odd note is. *sigh*

Deep sweetness, overlaid with spice and a light floral. It's a bit like cinnamon, actually, and a soapy floral. There's resin as well. This is darker than the other Qlipthoth blends I've tried, but still very similar. Pretty and clean. It's rather calming.

This is cool and sweet on first sniff, a little fruity, but also floral in hints. It's smoky as well, which is an interesting combination. It warms over time, but never strikes me as a warm blend. Spicy and sweet, always light. This is pretty, but slightly insubstantial on my skin.

This is, in other words, chaos. Interesting, considering this smells like a rather sedate floral blend on first sniff. For a minute, I get an odd, burning metallic note, but it quickly subsides into the florals again.

 

After a while, however, the floral turns to a soapy aquatic, soft florals churned through the water. It smells quite old-fashioned to my nose, but pleasant nonetheless. Behind it, though, the metallic note lingers.

Yowza! This is definitely a strong scent, vetiver and patchouli, masculine and, yes, determined. It might be overpowering to some, but it's strengthening as well. Personally, I like these two dominant notes together, and they do keep me sharp and focused on what needs to be done. This is definitely something I'd want to have around for all-nighters.

On first sniff, this is a potent lemon and mint, reminiscent of the kind of cough drops that really work. Maybe there's a bit of eucalyptus? It's cool and a little sweet, and definitely clarifying. The blend wakes me right up! I'm not sure about the efficacy of the blend, but this is definitely something I could use as I try to focus on a big project.

Scent: On me, this is a lovely, sweet mint on first application, but the sweetness fades away after a few minutes. It's quite bracing, a bit like peppermint, but not foody. After a while, the mint fades into...rose? Something that reminds me a little bit of Bess, actually, rose and mint and a bit of greenery. It's faint, but pleasant.

 

Usage: I tested this out during a particularly hectic time of work, when a lot of projects were piling on, plus grading for my class. I felt stuck, no trapped in the rut of my predecessors, and I needed a new way to deal with everything. I don't know how to assess efficacy, but the ritual of using this blend to center, to focus my energies on my tasks, was extremely helpful.

On first sniff, it's clean and sweet rose, with a strong green note behind it. As it dries, I also get a lighter floral note as well, though I can't figure out what it is. I don't smell apple or sandalwood at all, though there are hints of musk. Overall, it's a clean and sweet floral. Lovely.

This is herbal and bitter on first application, not unpleasant, but certainly medicinal. As it dries, it gets a little spicy, but the astringent note strengthens as well. Yikes! Given time, I start to smell sweeter notes--something woodsy and clean. A nice and cleansing scent, but not one I'd wear as perfume.

This is very perfumey to my nose--the lily, I think, is what does it. There's a hint of sandalwood behind it, but it's mostly lily. My chemistry, I think, does not like this blend--the floral notes turn waxy on me, so I get something like fancy soap instead of the lovely bouquet others have described. Alas!

On first application, I get wisteria, rose, and the faintest breath of peach. This is very floral and feminine. Oddly, the blend gets a bit incense-like after a few minutes, a very soft, clean incense. Maybe the musk is the source? In any case, the florals are quiet in the background, letting the peach grow sweeter and more intense. This is beautiful, vivid and dreamy.

Oooh. This definitely strikes me as a masculine blend, but I think women could wear it as well. The evergreen notes are strong and brash, but the presence of vanilla lurks in the background, tempering it. As it dries, the pungent evergreen fades a little, but not much. After a while, it becomes an enticing mix of evergreen, smoke, and a smidgen of vanilla. Hours later, it ends up being a gorgeous, musky vanilla. Mmmm.

This is, yes, a pale blend. Very light, very sweet, very airy. It strikes me as a floral blend, but I can't detect the floral notes in it. Instead, I smell the lemon, the musk, the sage, the wood. And yet, I think floral. This is a pretty, wild blend, and extremely complex. I wish it lasted longer, and had more throw--it disappears quickly on me. While it's around, though, it's gorgeous.

On first sniff, this is rose and pear. Fresh, sweet, and subtle. The pear note is quite juicy, and the other floral notes support the rose beautifully, creating an overall lushness I like. This is a very light scent, however, and as it dries, it gets even lighter. After ten minutes, it's almost disappeared on me.

Apple, honey, and orange bloosom, yum! This is pretty, sweet, but with a touch of "generic" perfume in the background. As it dries, the perfumey note clarifies into rose and the barest tinge of musk. After that point, however, this scent doesn't morph much. It stays sweet and light and sensual until it fades away.